Monday Memories: Did any Easter eggs cross the finish line intact in 1999?
The egg-rolling competition at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont in 1999 started out orderly at first. Youngsters toed the white line, egg and spoon at the ready. Once the whistle blew, it turned into a rout. Children raced to roll their eggs to the finish line, swinging their spoons like mini-golf clubs, gouging the sod and mashing more than a few eggs. It could have been a modern reenactment of the 1876 scene at the U. S. Capitol, which damaged the lawn, prompting Congress to forbid the event. That ban prompted President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878 to host what became an annual event on the South Lawn of the White House every Easter Monday. In this Blade archive photo, Trent Klaiss, 4, takes a swing at his egg as he approaches the finish line, eventually placing second. This year, the center will hold the Hayes Easter Egg Roll and related events on Saturday, April 19 on the Hayes Home lawn. The egg roll will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Go to thebladevault.com/memories to purchase more historical photos taken by our award-winning staff of photographers, past and present, or to purchase combinations of stories and photos.